Air or water attachment for dental engines



March 2, 1948. y CUNNINGHAM 2,437,017-

AIR OR WATER ATTACHMENT FOR DENTAL ENGINES Filed Feb. 21 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

ATI'D RN EYE March 2, 1948! R. E. (VZUNNINGHAM AIR OR WATER ATTACHMENT FOR DENTAL ENGINES Filed Feb. 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 2, i948 UNITEDSTATEISI PATENT OFFICE Am R WATER ATTACHMENT FOR 7 DENTAL ENGINES I f Robes E. Cunningham, rac sts, V Application February 21, 1947,'-Seria'l No. 730,102

' 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved air or I water attachment for dental'engines.

An object of the inventionis to provide ah'ollow supporting arm for dental engineswhich is adapted to carry a flexible conduit which will lead and direct a liquid from a source of supply to a point adjacent the tool attaching end of the dental engine. 7 I Another object of the invention is to providea hollow supporting arm which will carry water to the dental engine, and the arm is provided with a rotary valve to control the flow of liquid within thearm. in drilling teeth, the friction 'caused by the rapid rotation of the stone or burr carried by the dental tool produces most of the painfelt by the individual. It is, therefore, a further object of the invention to provide means "for directing'a cooling fluid to the stone or burr in the dental engine to cool the heat produced by'the friction of grinding. This is also a time saver-in drilling teeth, since the dentist will not have to stopto flush'out the cavity being drilled, toobserve the progress of the drilling operation. The speed of the' delivery of the cooling fluid is consistent with the speed of the tool being used. A further object of the invention is to provide a continuous or intermittent supply of fluid or air to the patienfls-mouth during'any dental work therein. T

The control of thefluidor air is under the direct control of the dentist at all times. 4 a 'A further objectof'thedevice is that of supplying a stream of water or other'fluids *such' as air at a predetermined point at the end of the device being employed, which flow of fluid-is-at all times under exact control of; the instruments user. A still further object of the invention isthat it is subject to such adjustment that it can meet the individual'needs. of the user of the instrument, at any location,.up or down, or around;

Other objects of the .invention comprise sim; plicity of construction and means by; which fluid may be conveyed from its source to the point of outlet in a simple and convenient manner, without hamperingvthe use of the instruments, and with the purpose of. eliminating frequent replacee ments of several of the working, Darts-3 {I y .With the above and other objects 3 and ad?- vantages in view, the invention consists-of the novel details of construction; arrangement and combinationof parts more fully hereinafter de-. scribed, claimed and illustrated in the @9911 nanyi draw n s in.which:y,;,.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a dentalengine having an embodiment of the invention secured thereto; Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one of the joints of the supporting arms partly in section to show the manner in which the flex ible conduit is mounted therein; 7

. Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the valve controlling the supply of the fluid to the flexible conduit;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevationalview of the dental engine with the shut-off valve mounted thereon; I

Figure 5 is a top plan view of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the shut-oil valve;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevational view of the control mounting 'for the end of the valve control rod; 1 v v Figure 8 is afragmentary elevational view of the end-ofthedental engine coacting with the control shown in Figure '7 I Figure-'9 is afragmentary view of the adjust: able rod'connection;

, Figure '10 is a fragmentary view of the hose connection employed in the device; Figure 11 is a sectional view of a modified form of the invention and j Figure 12 is an elevational view, partly in sec.- tion, ofthe control valve used with the form shown in Figure 11. 1

Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals designate like parts, the numeral designates the supporting frame of the dental engine, which is of standard construction and design. At the outer end 2| of the frame 20 is a hinge joint 22 to which is attached the extension rod 23 in hinged relationship thereto. The rod 23 is connected to. the extension rod by the hinge 25. At the lower end thereof the'rod 24 is connectedto the supporting arm 26 by the hinge. 21, the arm 23 supporting in pivotal relationship thereto, at 28, the bracket 29 fixed to the handpiece 30. The .rod 23 is hollow from the point 3! to the point 32, and the rod 24 is of similar construction. to the rod 23, being hollow from the point 33 at the upper end thereof to the point 34.

Carried by the frame 20, by means of a clip 35, is a flexible conduit 36 which enters the rod 23 at 31 adjacent the point 3|, toemerge therefrom at 38, adjacent the point 32 to curve around the hinge at 39 to'enter the rod 24 at 40, and to emerge therefrom at 4| to be connected at 42 to the rotary valve 43 having the curved out;

3 let 44 which is received in the ring portion 45 of the spring clamp 46, whereby the valve 43 is supported on the hinge 21.

The outlet 44, at the outer end thereof is provided with a couplin 41 which is connected by a flexible conduit 48 with the inlet 49 of the shutoff or control valve 50.

Disposed horizontally on the upper side of the hand piece 30- is the housing: supported; on the handpiece 3%! by the clip 52. The housing 51' supports the tube 53, the rear end thereof connecting with the valve 50 at the outlet 54 thereas illustrated in Figure 1. A clip 56 is attached to the front of the tube 53, andls adapted to partially encircle the handpi'ecefifl, was illustrated in Figure 1. The valve 50. a cross-section of which isillus trated in Figure 6, connects directly with the tube 53 through the valve chamber 51, and the inlet 49 connects with the valve chamber 51 rearward and opposite to the connection with the tube 53 with said chamberfl'. The. chamber 51 is' provi'ded with a valve seat 58, into which is seated the valve head to which is attached the valve stem 60, which valves-tern 60' extends centrally forward through the valve- 59 fromthe chamber 51, as illustrated in Figure 6. A compression spring 6| is disposed within the iendrof the valve chamber Elana bears against the valve head 59. as illustrated in Figure 6, thus normally closing the valve seat 58 in the-chamber 51:, and thereby preventing fluid" from passing "through the inlet 49, through the valve chamber 51 and into the tube 53. By pushing the valve stem 58 rearward, ther is cleared; an opening directly from the inlet 49 through the valve chamber 51 to the tube 53, and a tensioning screwfl 'threadably mounted in the endofthe valve 50"is pronew with a seat 53 toreceive the spring 6i, and manipulation of the screw 5 2 will increase or decrease the tension of the spring 61 as desired. A gasket 64 intermediate the head of the screw 82' and valve 50 provides a water tight'connectiontherebetween.

The forward end of the valve 59 is provided with a. reduced threaded portion 59' to receive the packing nut which encirclesthe stem 50 and compresses the packing Tl about the stem 65 to form a water tight joint, as shown in Figure 6.

The valve stem Bil is connected at its outer extremity with the coupling 55', by means of the screw 65. To the coupling 6'5 is connected the rod 61 in slidable relation therewith, being held in a predetermined fixed position by the set screw 68'. The rod 57 extends through the housing 5 I, as illustrated in Figures" 4 and 5, hav lug disposed on the outer end thereof, the ring 58,. which encircles; the forward end of the handpiece 38, as illustrated in Figure '7', andi'theinner periphery ofrtne ring 88' isbevel'ed towardthe outer edge thereof.

Disposed on the forward en-dofthe handpiece 3 is the. beveled ring .12', as illustrated. inFig ure 8, this beveled, ring 12 being beveled inwardly, as illustrated, and having disposed therein set screws 13, by means of which the ,ring' "may be set in fixed relationship on the handpiece 30 at any predetermined position.

0n adjustment of the ring 1-2 on the handpiece 30, the ring .12 is positioned incloserelationship therewith on the h-andpi'ece so by adjustment of 1572c rod 61 at the coupling 65 by the set screw It is thus seen that by slight pressure of the finger downward on the ring 68, said ring 68 bears against the inward bevel of the ring 12, thereby forcing rearward the rod 61, which being connected with the valve stem 60, as heretofore described, forces the valve head 59 rearward and thereby opens the valve 50 for passage of fluid therethrough, as heretofore described. By removing the pressure on the ring 58, the valve 50 is immediately closed by reason of the pressure exerted at all times on the valve head 59 by the spring 6|, as heretofore described.

It is thus seen that the entire assembly is of very'simpl'e construction, and of easy operation, being so simple that anyone understanding the operation of such an instrument could easily handle the same without hindrance in the carrying on of the work for which the principal insttument is intended. Heretofore other devices designed along somewhat similar lines have been so cumbersome of construction that they interfered with the'delicate handling of the instrument, and therebyprevented the satisfactory use'thereof. In this device, all unnecessary tubingand working parts have been eliminated, and thus there has been obtained thereby a device by means of which fluid may be conveyed from its source to the end of the instrument by means of tubular members so "joined together that the fluid may be'conveyed easily without interference and without leakage.

The connection" 41- shown in Figure 1 may be replaced by the connection shown in Figure 10, which comprises thesocket 12 formed on the outlet 44 having the bayonet slot 13 to receive the pin 14 of a short lengthof tubing that is positioned" in the end of the flexible tubing 43. This connection, as well as connection 41, is used to permit removal and replacement of the handpiece!!! as desired.

In Figures 11 and: 12; the hollow control rods 1.5,which will replace the rods 23 and 24 previouslydescribed, are provided with a solid end l5, havinga spring pressed. lug l1 therein, which is inserted'into'the hinge stem 18, and the lug Tl will be received in the circular seat 19 in the stem "to retain the stem 16 therein.

The rod 15' is 'provided'adjacent to the end 15 with-a row of apertures on each side of which are positioned the collars 8| and 82 in opposed relation to each other, and collar 8| engages the gasket 83 positioned inthe complementary shaped seat 84 in the stem 16, and collar 82 engages the gasket 85 carried by the hollow coupling 86 which isathrea'dably mounted at 81 on the stem 15, and when tightened will provide a water tight connection at this point and the other points of connection that will be substituted for the support previously described.

The coupling 85 is provided with a tubular connection. 88 which will connect to a flexible con dui't such as the conduit 36 at the points 31, 38, 46 and M previously described. In this constructlon, the valve 43 is replaced by the valve 88, having direct communication with the hollow control rod 15, and the outlet 90 thereon will be connected to a flexible conduit such as the flexible conduit 48.

In thisform of the invention, the flexible cond'uit 36 is eliminated except at the curve 39, as previously described.

The construction, operation and advantages of the invention will, it is believed, be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art, when the foregoing description has been read in connection with the accompanying drawings. The degree of adjustment of the several members in relation to each other is such as to take care of any expected requirements; and while there is here shown and described the pointed out, certain novel features of the invention, it is to be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device may be made by those skilled in the art, and that the invention is not restricted to the precise structure disclosed, but changes may be made therefrom, as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, in combination with a dental engine having a hand piece and a dental tool in the hand piece, of a plurality of hinged hollow control rods connected to said hand piece, a flexible conduit mounted in said control rods for supplying a fluid to said hand piece adjacent the tool therein, a valve in said conduit for cutting off the supply of fluid to said hand piece and a valve on the hand piece for controlling the amount of fluid supplied thereto.

swivelled joints connecting said control rods, a connection on each of said joints, means on said connection for Icy-passing the joints of said control rods, a valve in said rods for cutting off the supply of fluid to said hand piece and a valve on the hand piece for controlling the amount of fluid supplied thereto.

3. The invention as in claim 1, wherein the valve stem of the valve mounted on the hand piece is provided with a control adjacent the end of said hand piece for the manual control of said valve and said control comprises a rod connected to said stem, a ring piece on said rod sleeved on said hand piece and a bevelled ring piece on said hand piece coacting with the ring piece on said rod, whereby pressure on the ring piece on the rod will cause said ring piece to slide over the bevelled ring piece on said hand piece, and cause said rod to actuate said valve stem to control said valve.

ROBERT E. CUNNINGHAM.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number Craig Nov. 3, 1908 

